WEDDING TALK
xx

There is wedding talk in the air again.  Two of our children are married and two are starting to talk about it. The google searches have begun.... Somewhere soon dreams will have to meet budgets. Dates will have to be chosen. Spreadsheets and family meeting will begin , job's will be assigned and excitement will erupt.

The weddings of two of our children provided very happy memories that still make me smile Most wedding memories revolve around emotion , perfection, plans that didn't go the way they should have and just straight surprises.

The year is 1966. It is my eldest sister's wedding . I was her flower girl . I had never been to a wedding before , l had no idea what a wedding was, let alone a flower girl . Also, nobody at all explained that my sister wasn't coming home afterwards ! l was three years old .
l got the idea very quickly that this was a big deal to my parents as she was their first wedding. Back then , if you could afford it, you got your hair done for a wedding at a salon. Since the groom was a hairdresser, this was always going to happen. Nobody talked to me about this , what happens at a hair salon. Nobody took me for a visit to the salon either. God forbid, nor explained what a big hair dryer was that you sat under!

Like any wedding , there is a timetable to eventually get everyone where they needed to go . l well and truly put a spanner in the works here. l was so terrified and traumatised by the big hairdryer that l screamed through  its application. But by no amount of explaining ,  conjouling or bribing could they pacify me . The poor hairdresser had to dry my curled hair with a hand dryer. That kind of mucked up our timetables. I wasn't in trouble when we got home but l felt like l was . l clearly remember sitting on the couch in the lounge room and my feet not reaching the edge of the seat and being a bit teary . A kind family friend named Shirley, also a mother came and sat beside me and held my hand saying "Its ok little Liz ..its going to be a lovely day ".
It was simpler then . There were no hens nights, nail or spray tan appointments and generally no chicken and champain breakfast , catered lunch for the bridesmaids or photographer in the home. l don't remember any of the Wedding mass or the reception, but l do remember my parents cleaning up at the end of the night when l was feeling very tired and wishing they would hurry up . That was my first Wedding !

The next wedding was my other sister's . l was seven and her and l were best buds. I was the baby of the family , eleven years younger thatn my closest sibling. Mum and Dad had no plans for another bub but l came along , surprise ! when Mum was forty. This sister believes she dreamt me into being . She nagged and nagged Mum for years and years for a baby sister . She also prayed for one. My sister had a serious cardiac condition as a child and when Mum announced the pregnancy she fainted.
l was sick for her wedding and weak . l had been in bed for two weeks with some childhood virus, either mumps or measles; l don't recall which . l recall that l wore a lovely maroon long sleeved velvet dress and a white fluffy muff around my hands. I had an up do for my hairstyle which just accentuated my inceadibly grey completion. l recall nothing of the service or reception except tbat l flat out refused to speak to the groom on the day because he was taking my sister away . Sitting at the kitchen table afterwards sharing my sadness with my brother He said " l don't blame you l just wanted to punch him too" ".

The year is 1982 ..it is my own wedding. I had left teachers college to marry . I hadn't worked while l studied so l wasn't very financial so it was a bit of a budget affair. l am not a good looking woman, but l felt beautiful that day and was a marrying the man l loved so very much so that made it perfect to me .

We had hired cars for the wedding from a location in the city. It was my brothers job to call ahead and then with others collect the cars. For some reason they absolutely refused to rent them to him or allow him to collect them . No one else was available to solve the problem. Luckily , my bridesmaid's Dad worked for Mazda and without me knowing   there had been an issue , three big white Mazdas arrived to transport us all to the church.

My Dad and l had disagreed about tbe music at the reception. Mum was sensible and diplomatic, she never entered into it.
l was 18 and it was a young wedding with a table of our friends who were also 18. We didn't have MPV players or mobile phones or utube playlists then . I wanted a DJ with some music we had chosen. Dad wanted...wait for it ..an organist!!!!. Dad said not to worry about it as he would sort it out. We didn't want to have a wedding dance either , just music and all to the floor to dance together . Well you guessed it ..you can imagine how wild l was when we walked into the reception after photos to the dulcid sounds of an organist ! And of course, my father had cued the master of ceremonies and the organist , you guest it , to play a wedding dance, mind you that neither of us had rehearsed for  . Ever the control freak Dad 

But miss him incredibly xx

Summer Holiday

This week its grandkids and holiday cabin days. Time for beach , swimming pool. playing in the sun's rays.
 The cabin has all the mod cons to share, bunks and telly and sandflies to spare.
The kids are polite and well mannered most of the time,  obedient for sunscreen and hats , l even wear mine !
This week with Nana is techno free,  phones, tablets and drones stayed home you see.
l bought them a new book each to read,  and the colors and craft supplies they need.
To keep them occupied as can be in case a nanny nap is required by me.
Miss 12 is caring and pretty as can be
 And has become a young lady when l didn't see.
She loves reading and drawing and all things art,  and academically she's really quiet smart.  Miss 7 is very tall so looks ten by the way
 loves ponies and her books which she reads every day.
Mater 8 is kind, a science boy and full of beans with tuns more energy than l've even seen.
If fighting with his sisters was an Olympic sport,  He'd be a gold medalist who couldn't be caught.
He goes to bed well a great sleeper for sure, but unfortunately , an early riser at 444.
and isnt content to rise on his own he wakes his sisters , won't leave them alone.
We had a big talk about not rising till six ,surely he can wait that long for his wheatbix .
The very next morn he rose in the same
manner.  Right! l said you know this means ,your'e in with Nana !
So we head off to bed with his book and some toys,  so when he wakes he can play without any noise.
The girls rest in slumber till seven or more And upon threat of his life he stays away from their door.
Come morning were of for ocean and sand only ever a patrolled beaches that is lifesaver manned.
I teach them how to read the sea where rips will be in time , And learn these warnings while still in their prime .
And then it all on, they run into the see
God l hope l bought my glassess with me.
Miss 12 is really quiet sensible in the water is she.  Her rash vest isn'1t bright the way that suits me.
l offered a new one bright as can be,  But  at her age its beauty before safety you see.
Master 8 doesnt assess his smimming skills well,  his vest is light blue and easy to spot as heads past the swell.
Miss 7 hates the noise of the waves, so in the wet sand she sits and she plays.
With bucket and spade, sieve ,wet sand and rake,  an impressive structure and fort she will make.
She doesn't really care for the sea but she will paddle later, but only near me .
So then there is me l stadle the shore sideways,  to see sand players and smimmers and watch for sharks and stingrays !
The boy knows no fear and is out of his depth again once more.  So l  beckon him back this way, come back to the shore.
He has to stay with me for five minutes or more,  no more than waiste deep, he must learn once more.
They are very good children really you see ,but as their Nanna of course they are perfect to me.
Before long its fish n chiips for lunch and the surf club at 6 with dinner to munch.
Off to the park in late adternoon l sit by the side, and patiently await the next rising tide . Faster than a seagul chasing a scrap , the week is over, our holiday's a wrap.
We pitch in to clean and to  pack, we're homewood bound.   A week of making memories where they're to found.
But the children are young they don't know the world yet,

Or that to have people to love you is as good as it gets ........

Woken From A Deep Sleep.........

Sleep ....glorious , luxurious , deep and refreshing. Ah ... no , not this little black duck , not recently , not for a long while. The only time l sleep well is in a daytime nap....which of course. like everything else enjoyable  isn't good for us , well not if you are a poor night sleeper. Like drinking caffeinated drinks after 3 pm, not exercising during the day or rising and falling at different times on different days , it is considered poor sleep hygiene! Well l would be a fail , fail and...a  fail on these and God  don't even get me started on the phone and looking at it at night !!!. It's not my fault if l can't afford paid TV and the quality of free TV is so poor that watching Utube in bed instead, is forced upon me !Yesterday in the morning, l mowed, yes it was hot but it had to be done , l didn't nap and as l was out of sugar so l didn't drink any coffee. I hate going to the supermarket so a sugar shortage wouldn't get me there ...being out of sugar is mot like being out of toilet paper! Surprise, surprise,  l slept like a log and was woken with a fright by the dog who was clearly busting to go and toilet outside.  It reminded me of another occasion l had been awakened from a deep sleep with a fright .

The year is 1992 , we are a young mining  family happily living in Central Queensland . We were expecting number four . One and two were going to school  and three had just started preschool and life was pretty busy.  It was the custom in  the household that on return from school pickup in the arvos the children  would set themselves up on a tablecloth on the  floor with afternoon tea in front of Play School . At 36 weeks pregnant, this was my opportunity to stretch out on the couch and power nap to help me get through the rest of the day with hubby on afternoon shift .  Now the other local custom, necessity really , was to be in a big town  at least 200 klms away at least 2 weeks before due date to have baby . Number 3 had decided to go play in his room and had managed to jam his fingers in the laundry door as it slammed shut with an almighty bang followed by a blood  curdling scream,which of course, jolted me awake with a fright . I leaped off the couch with all  the grace  of a tired pregnant woman in flight. Now  being a sprinter from way back,  l prepared to come outta the blocks fast and hit the passage at lightening speed. Well , believe me there would be speed that faithful afternoon, but not to get me to an injured child ...but to get me into into delivery .. l must have been quietly labouring away because my fast Giselle leap to my child's distress had resulted in a truly watershed moment as my membranes has ruptured . No car , no husband and seemingly nobody else answering their phones. The developments of the next few hours between that moment and the birth of our beautiful daughter the next morning can only be described as somewhere between chaos, calamity and comedy!

My lovely friend Vicky had been a little nervous about this pregnancy since the get go.  She kept having this dream that l would go into labour early when my hubby was on afternoon shift with the car ! So when l quickly became aware that l needed help now..not wanting to traumatise her l rang several other friends first for assistance,  but to no avail . The town had children's swimming lessons at 3.30 in the afternoons and most families were in attendance. So l had to make this phone call that started like this ..."Hi  Vick , its Liz ...um you know that dream you've  have been having..well my water just broke" ..to which she replied ..".I've been waiting for this call , I'm coming..l knew you were going to do this to me". I called the small local hospital and was advised to stay put that  they were sending an ambulance. l called my husband's place of work and when they finally  answered the phone and informed hubby , he thought they were playing a joke on him ! So l quickly packed the last few items and closed the case and tried to explained to the children what was happening and sorry  but ..."no...l don't know where you will be sleeping tonight ..but Daddy will be here soon and he will tell you .  l will call you tomorrow when the baby is born ". Now luckily or unluckily, however you want to see it , swimming lessons had finished and our house was on the way home for several of my friends, so seeing the ambulance,two stopped in to render aide and advise with wet children in toe. So by this stage, let me see.....there was me and my unborn child , huge puddles on the carpet , two ambos, three mothers and 11 children , 8 of which were wet and no doubt hungry!.  You can imagine my husband's surprise when he returns home to an absent preterm laboring wife, 11 kids and 3 other mothers  busily trying to locate the kids pjs , lunch boxes and school shoes while dividing up care of his children.

The ambos wouldn't wait for my husband, they certainly were not delivering a preterm   bub in that little hospital if they could help it ! When l caught up with my husband later he said " gees how many people did you ring " There are women and children everywhere at home, they all want to help , it was a crazy house , they even tried to organise me !. And l said ..".so where are the children, who are they staying  with". He said " Oh no , l wasn't coming into that argument, l just said you guys work it out l gotta go" ... He knew the kids would be fine with any of those families. I had to go  by ambulance to our small hospital to get checked first and then transferred. Even tough everyone was extremely keen to get me on the road for the 2 hr journey to my delivery hospital, l was not concerned and although 4 th bub , l didn't have babies in a hurry and l knew it would be at least the next day before l had her in my arm!s. l wasn't  nurse then, so probably ignorance  was bliss!.

My attendants were a new ambo day 3 on the job , didn't really know where he was going and wherever he was ...he sure wasn't going there fast., much to the disgust of the young midwife. Hubby had left at  the same time as  us , found a motel , booked    had dinner and still made it to the hospital before us !. My midwife was a confident and friendly  girl on her first shift  at the little hospital and didn't know the area either nor the ambulance officer. Excellent,. now my safe delivery may be in the hands of a slow , possibly lost ambulance driver and a new , nervous midwife!. We had lived there for a number of years by then and l had a baby at the big hospital before , so not as directionally challenged as these two!  Although l did get a bit worried when we hit the outskirts of the regional town with our chosen hospital and at  the  big roundabout  he  heads away.... from the town  back towards Brisbane!  A quick turn around and we were back on an track. It was an exceptionally hot day and the air-con in the ambulance wasn't working . Sweat was pouring off me and the midwife was fanning me.  They thought it was from the heat and contractions, but it was really from  fear of not reaching our desired destination in a timely manner. We finally found the hospital which  neither of them had ever been to before , at which point l relaxed as surely...... they could find where to deposit me from here   ..but no..... he ended up the lane to the morgue!  Oh God, it would only happen to me !! Luckily, for them l tend to become extremely calm when I'm in labour !. I headed them to the wards area but no, wrong .....cause  off we go again because l actually needed to be admitted through emergency.  My attendants then took me to reception in maternity. Upon greeting me the midwife said "I'm sorry but we don't have a delivery room  for you" . I looked at her in horror and said ' you are not sending me away are you ? "( fearing that l  may have to get back in that ambulance with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb). "Oh no darling, she said.. l was just trying to apologise  for if you have to deliver in your room." I looked at her and said " listen lovely, after that ambulance trip ..I'm sooooo happy to finally  be here, l don't care if l have the baby in the kitchen !"..

My husband joined us shortly after, looking very relieved to finally see me..saying "I've been in town for ages , where have you guys been ?....to which l simply replied "don't worry about it darling ...you wouldn't believe me if l told you......."

number four xx

Its heating up ....
Well l don't know about you, but l've  had more cool showers in this heat of the past few weeks than the rest of my life put together . We are getting a wet season this year . The mornings are a false promoise of a clear sunny day , by lunch time its clouding over and you have a facebook feed of severe storm warnings  and usually about three the light show begins with just enough of a downpour to make the grass grow fast enough for twice weekly mowing !

l know this makes me sound old ...but l don't remember feeling the heat when l was a kid  and yes maybe l don't remember because it was a wee while ago! Mind you, l wasn't fat then either and since adipose tissue provides great blubber for warmth , that may be why us plus sizes feel the heat more. We didn't wear ployester or nylon  clothes much though either , usually clothes that were made from  cotton.  In the Malley we mostly lived from the tank; so wasting water was a No No, but if it got a bit hot you were allowed to don your kinnies  and go under the sprinkler with the dog and your pet duck so they would cool down at the same time . Of course, if it did reach heat wave status then as an extra special treat you were allowed to emerse yourself in a 44 gallon drum as long as you gave it a squirt out first to chase the spiders away... . Dad would take me swimning in the irrigation chanel in the late afternoons which was where l learned to swim.

 On occassion, a very very rare occassion Mum and l would drive the ten miles into town and go to the "swimming bathes " as Mum would call the pool and we would wear our " swimming costumes " as  Mum always said this or " bathers"..never "togs" .If you think her language was old fashion.  you should have got an eyefull of  her "togs"!. lm pretty sure they were the same fashion in the 1956 Olympics( we're talking 70s by now ). Mum was of
a small and holy woman and she had  left the Convent to marry in the forties...Although, l never dared ask, l was fairly sure they must have been her Nun's togs!!.  It was embarrassing enough  ,  having a mother with togs from the "roaring 20s" but as she couldn't swim , l was only allowed in the " little pool " with kids half my size.. I will never forget those togs though, they were navy one piece with  extra  material across the front of the legs about 2 inches down from the crotch  , to hide it l would imagine ! .  Understandably, l didn't press  her to take me swimming too often .Thank God we never went to the beach with all those extra bits of material in Ma's togs  getting the sand out would have needed an excavatiion







As a child,  l had never heard of airconditioning !We did however  have a big arse air cooler  that you had to position near a open window so the overflow water could go out . You also had to put water in the bloody thing as well . Dragging buckets of water to pour into the appropriate receptical was a quiet a chore and this machine was as noisy as all hell when it got going !. The cooler lived in the lounge room facing Dad whilst he was watching the cricket!. Mum was thin and must not have felt the heat much  as she always wore the full complement of clothing including a "frock" . a half slip underneath , stocking and suspenders, undies you could easily use as a ships sail  and a nicely ironed apron ( no doubt left over from her war years nursing uniform which also included a starched apron.  God rest her soul) xx. So we had long given up trying to keep mother cool ! So if you needed a repreave from the heat it looked something like this...sitting in the lounge with Dad , ciggarette smoke and all , pretending to like the cricket and have some clue what "silly mid offs " were " tolerating the deafening volume of the TV to get over the roar of the load hum of the air cooler, while at the same  listening to Dad recount his days of playing cricket for the Christian brothers with great  accolades of what a fantastis coach brother so and so was who taught them how to spit and polish  the ball when they were bowling ..without being seen !!  .it was much less effort to just play under the tank stand with the dog and the  duck  and almost as cool and healthier for my lungs and ears!!

And l know that this an oldie but a goodie  ..which we all know but probably seldom do...but in this heat ...drink heaps.... l have been and my fatigue has been reduced.  What's working for me is having a jug of water beside the bed at night.  Also, l have downloaded a " "drink more water" app that results in  " toilet flushing  bubbly " noises emitting from my phone on the hour to prompt me to drink. Unfotunately, this prompts me to pee as well as drink so believe me l have to gussel  a powerful lot of water to stay hydrated !!

Thanks so much for taking a wander down memory lane with me today xx

It's All a Matter of Perspective ...

"Happy new year"  ......It just slides off our tongue sooo easily and is very frequently followed by "I hope so" or " it would have to be better than this year" or "this year has been a s**t year". Whether we have had a great or not so great year generally it's a matter of perspective , I usually find. I of course, do acknowledge that some of us have had truly difficult years with horrid experiences or losses and the expected and entirely appropriate emotions to go with them. I really appreciate the need for emotional expression and the need to do this least our trauma comes back to bite us.If the situation isn't truly devastating and sometimes it is , then I try to give myself a bit of a time line to feel sorry for myself. So, my thoughts might be "OK that's disappointing I didn't get that job but I'm going to allow myself till the start of next week to feel sorry for myself and feel this way then l'm going to climb up to that place where I can get on with it "!. For me. sometimes if I just start acting a certain way very often the emotion will catch up. I usually find if i feel yuck , the poor people I talk to about it , the worse i feel. This is exactly where gratitude can kick on in . I can focus on the fact that health and career wise , 2017  hasn't been my finest hour, but, I can cope with the negative thoughts about that by having a practise of gratitude . I say "a practise" because coping mechanisms are a bit like labour breathing , if you don't practise it daily ..when life hots up and gets painful...it will fast go out the window because it is not a "daily practise" and as such we can't simply engage it automatically.

So how can we start being grateful?. I always think globally and gradually work my way back to little old me  and ask myself ...

• What concrete things can I be grateful for that some people in our world don't have and I take for granted?
• What conflict, cultural and religious pressures do others have that I don't and take for granted?
• What is unique to my country , state, government , weather, customs , laws, technology , politics, religion, employment,  culture and freedoms and  environment that I am grateful for?
• Who in my family, friends and work family am i grateful for?
• Do I live with acute or chronic physical disease or pain , if not i'm grateful!
• Do I have all my faculties, senses, am I mobile , can I go out , walk , drive and am I independent? If so show I gratitude.
• Do i live with mental illness, yes, but mostly i'm functional, so I'm grateful.
• Am I so emotional unwell that I live with anxiety , depression, psychosis or suicidaility ? If not, I show gratitude
• Do i have life giving relationships , am i loved instead of suffering physical, sexual, financial, emotional or elder abuse, for this i am grateful?
• Do i have a faith and a faithful community or an interest club that I can be grateful for?
• Do I have entertainment or music or a hobby I am grateful for ?
• Have I had acts of kindness bestowed upon me ?.If so then  for this I am grateful.
• Do i have fur babies or other pets to colour my world, if so I show gratitude.
• Do i have enough.......

Some people like to have a gratitude journal where they record their gratefulness and look back on it when times are hard and they need a reminder of all that they should be grateful for. Of course, the modern and sexy crafty thing to do these days is to make your journal out of recycled materials by gutting an old hard cover novel with a decent size spine , making the pages for it and covering it and personalizing it with recycled materials and your own private art.

Speaking of Art , my images are not showing up on blog , hopefully I can problem solve this soon .

happy new year everyone 

Liz xx

Boxiing Day Sales

"We are going to the boxing day sales Mum"
"Sure you want to dear as you hate crowds hun".

It's not a good fit, we shop very differently
 she gets in and gets out and l browse magnificently.

We load up the commadore  to Boxing day sales we go
She hands me a banana " you will need this you know" .

So Mummy , Pixi & l at last  find a park
Big double pram with tractor tyres will make it's mark.

"The double pram doesn't really fold out dear"
"No Mum l kinda assembles it, so  stand clear"

Now Pixi loves her Mummy that's for sure
She wants to be with her more and more.

Now as for the pram,  Pixi's not too keen
So Nanny pushes her so Mummy's not seen .

Now this is going to be  very interesting
Pixi just wants Mum but we've  no baby sling

So us sensible mothers hatch a good  plan
to get what we came for first, while we can.

So buy the time we come out of the first store
Nan on the pram , Pixi's on the breast having more.

We try her in the pram again and here comes her little cry
Mum picks her up and she shows me a smile and a glint in her eye .

My baby grandaughter is playing us, its so true
But with such a cutie,  what are we to do ?

The shopping crowds are unbelievable
Sad bubba , poor aircon and rude crowd
the day may not be retrievable.

So we decide on a break as its going on one
no tables free anywhere,  we are having such fun.

Mummy carries an injury so by now she is sore
With a Pram full of new linen  n Pix on the breast , we head for the door.

It's the wet season  now and so it's the norm
for sticky hot weather and an afternoon storm.

The centre doors open, the invading heat is awful
to sweat this much Nanny  should be unlawful

I can't manage those tight car seat straps so    Pixi l hold
At the end of a hot, sore shopping day, Nannys do what they're told .

We set off in the commadore once  more
but there is one fact too good to ignore.

While Mummy has pillows and doonahs to show
l've spent no money at all so l'm good to go.

Next time l shop with Pixi it will be colder
Cause one things for sure ..she  will be older

Or at least l will be  certain of one little thing
that Mummy brings your baby sling.

l love that some  of my children live close to me
so on great or average days some kind of  support l can be .

Xmas With a Crowd

Xmas with a crowd

On Saturday the 23rd of December we had our family Xmas party. We began the tradition of getting together the weekend before Xmas about five years ago after my marriage broke down. I figured it would make life easier for my grown children, whom naturally wanted to start having their own Xmas day with their children. It also leaves Xmas day free to spend with their outlaws, should they so desire and negates the need to be driving all over the state on Xmas day when the rest of the world may be on the roads , not always entirely sober!. Great idea and easy huh ? Well mostly... with a nurse and a doctor in the family who work shift work and a couple of our little grandchildren who need to also be with their Dads at Xmas, and one family who need to "come from afar" like the wise men did , setting a date can get challenging .

Well the venue has always been at my home and as I've since moved five times in five years , anyone would think I was avoiding Herod and the Census! My brother and his family join us for the party and I usually get the "where do you live NOW " text early in the day. Even though I'm no cook, I genuinely enjoy hosting the day . For a few years now I have given my adult children lovely Xmas plates , cloths , servers (um mm hint hint !).  My son and daughter in law were kind enough to jump in and host the Xmas party this year. My daughter had some of us over today on the real Xmas day for roast lunch ...yum !

For me,  cooking and food prep start the evening before , by now we mostly have our signature dishes set. Mine are dutch eggs and potato salad, easy huh ?. Well it was.... when I could buy prepared salads from the supermarket but apparently...there has since been a proclamation saying that  modern pregnant women can't eat prepared salads.....gees I'm really going to need a Xmas miracle  if I'm going to make potato salad from scratch ! I had to a few Xmas days back when my daughter was pregnant and luckily kept the recipe in the Christmas box..which is sooooo unlike me.. and of course, the dish was a hit and demanded every year since, pregnant eaters or not!.

I had my three eldest grandchildren with me for food prep this year. They are by no way fooled, they are well aware that we all have God given gifts and talents and that none of mine have anything to do with the kitchen! Now...we have to talk trifle ! In Australia there is a southern and a northern way to make trifle ! I was bought up down south and was taught to make it cake layer first , set purple jelly on it , peaches layer next ,green jelly poured over them , when this is set , home made custard , poured in for another layer to set , finally whipped cream with chocolate curls . There is going to be a crowd right at this Xmas party , be wise to make the trifle in the punch bowl for 25 people right .....ummm ......didn't think this through did I ? How was I going to transport this ? , it didn't fit in any esky and where exactly is it going to go when I get there? I can't fit it in my fridge let alone these skinny two door fridges that the young ones all have now ! Oh well,  lined a chiller bag with ice and sat the trifle on it uncovered, stayed cold at the venue but forgot to put ice in sealed plastic bags and it melted all over the floor...but it actually tasted good , miraculously! 

The northern states make what my Mum always called "Cheat's trifle" . it involves , chopped up jam roll , peaches poured in on top , packet custard poured over that . Red and green jelly set separately and when set chopped and sprinkled over custard for decoration. A bone of contention with my Queensland born friends and family ...but then again, I doubt they will believe anything I say about cooking!!

The Party program is similar each year, we gather mid morning  and have present giving which we call The Xmas Tree. There are seventeen of "us " now plus six others present  for the party..The beautiful and capable mothers in our family  seem to be good at birthing  beautiful baby girls...mostly . The three wise husbands  and  hands on fathers of our family , my son and almost two son in laws are around to model to our slightly increased number of male grand babies. I have eight grandchildren , two of whom it was their first Xmas.  I have five under five grandchildren so we had lots of Xmas elves and Santa's helpers , nappy changing , breast feeding, attempted ingestion of Xmas paper, touching of Xmas tree ,  cuddles, and much "helping" others unwrap their presents and not always too much sharing... I gave up wrapping presents some time ago , I try and put the children's' presents in an over sized Xmas bag so Mum & Dad can place their other presents in it to store and carry. The giving out of presents is strictly one at a time and everyone else is expected to provide the appropriate "oohs & ahhhhs " as the gift is revealed. With each grandchild getting up to 6 presents each ...yes it takes forever! Definitely a Xmas tradition up for review. 

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It is very hot in Queensland this time of year . After Xmas tree , every one is exhausted already , some  needs drinks or breastfeeds, bottles, sipper cups or poppers to re hydrate. Nappy change , toilet stops and sometimes naps are in order while buffet lunch is prepared, then it's a scramble for high chairs , bibs,children's tables and chairs as children are generally served first and don't you wait for everyone to sit down before you start eating , dig in. We share a lovely meal together , the toddlers kind of wander around , often too interested in new toys , play equipment etc to eat. Someone holds the young babies whilst tired parents of under one year old bubbas eat in peace, being fairly certain that no-one at their house is sleeping in heavenly peace just yet!.

One of my beautiful daughters and her lovely partner were on holidays snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef , we missed them at the party but understand how hard it can be to get holidays at the same time .

So from my family to yours 

                       

                                             Blessings and peace at 

                                                                                          Christmas

                                                                2017